1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a software processing apparatus such as a portable notebook-size personal computer driven on a battery and a recording medium on which a computer-readable program is recorded. More particularly, the invention relates to a software processing apparatus which executes processes of software with reduced power consumption at the time of operation on a battery and a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Arts
A notebook-size personal computer as a portable personal computer generally uses a rechargeable battery as a power supply for system operation. Since the power capacity of the rechargeable battery is limited, an operation time when the personal computer is carried is limited. Generally, a longer operation time of a portable device is requested. In the notebook-size personal computer as well, in order to increase the operation time when the computer is carried, various power saving techniques are used. Power saving by automatically adjusting an operation clock frequency of a CPU (hereinbelow, simply called a “CPU clock frequency”) used as one of the power saving techniques is a technique which decreases power consumption by minimizing the CPU clock frequency depending on a processing amount requiring the CPU.
During the power saving carried out by the automatic adjustment of the CPU clock frequency is performed, the smaller the processing amount requiring the CPU, a higher power saving effect can be obtained by lowering the CPU clock. In other words, during the power saving carried out by the automatic adjustment of the CPU clock frequency, the power saving effect is higher on a process in which it is sufficient to perform an operation of drawing a still picture once, the power saving effect is higher. On the contrary, the power saving effect is lower on a process of repeating an operation of drawing an image in animation or the like. Software, however, always perform routine processes irrespective of an environment. In the case of one software, a process performed by the software is either a process of light load on which the power saving effect is high or a process of heavy load on which the power saving effect is low. It is not expected that power saving is attempted by software itself during power saving performed by automatic adjustment of the CPU clock frequency.